Classic Biscotti Recipe – 4 Ways
This classic biscotti recipe makes the best biscotti cookies! A basic biscotti recipe plus recipes for almond biscotti, chocolate biscotti and cranberry orange biscotti. These homemade biscotti cookies are easy to make and perfect for holiday gifts and cookie trays!
With Christmas coming soon, I wanted to share one of my favorite holiday cookie recipes with you, these classic biscotti cookies. I love biscotti because they are crisp on the edges and just the tiniest bit soft in the center. You can easily flavor your biscotti with your favorite flavors. The best part about crunchy biscotti cookies is that they are perfect for dunking in a mug of coffee or tea!
I have made biscotti for years, but I had never played around with recipes until recently. I decided it was time to do some research and recipe testing to create the best classic biscotti recipe. I tested batch after batch of biscotti just for you and just in time for Christmas cookie baking season!
What are biscotti?
Biscotti are traditional Italian pastries. Classic biscotti cookies are dry and crisp, so they are ideal for dipping in hot coffee or tea. Sometimes biscotti are dipped in melted chocolate.
Biscotti are baked twice, which gives them their dry, crunchy texture. The dough is first shaped into a log and baked. After the baked dough log cools, you slice it on the diagonal and bake the cookies a second time until they are crisp.
You will find many different recipes for biscotti. Classic biscotti flavors include vanilla, anise and almond. Since biscotti are made with less butter and sugar, they are a healthy cookie.
If you like to bake homemade cookies for gifts for teachers, friends and neighbors, biscotti are a great choice. They stay fresh longer than most other types of cookies and they don’t break easily. There is nothing worse than worrying that the cookies you are giving away will be stale or broken by the time they get eaten.
This recipe is so easy and you can make lots of different flavors of biscotti so that there is something everyone will like. I made four batches in one morning and it was nice to be able to give away a plate with a variety of biscotti flavors to my family and friends.
Let’s talk about the ingredients for these homemade biscotti cookies.
Butter: I use 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of butter in my biscotti recipe. Adding more butter will result in a softer biscotti cookie and omitting the butter will give you a drier, crispier cookie. I found that 4 tablespoons is the perfect amount. Start with cold butter and cut it into four pieces. It will soften up as you beat it with the sugar.
Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar. You will want to beat the sugar and butter together until the mixture is creamy.
Eggs: You will need two large eggs for this recipe. The eggs are combined with the butter and sugar. The mixture might look a bit curdled, this is ok. When you mix in the flour everything will get incorporated.
Extracts and flavors: My basic biscotti recipe uses vanilla extract. You may also add almond extract or anise extract, which are both classic biscotti flavors. You can add some orange zest or lemon zest to the wet ingredients if you want citrus flavor in your biscotti.
Flour, baking powder and salt: I use a combination of white whole wheat flour and all purpose flour in my biscotti recipe. I like the depth of flavor that whole wheat flour adds to these cookies, and I like to sneak in extra nutrition whenever I can. You may replace the white whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour if that is all that you have on hand.
Baking powder helps the dough to rise. Adding salt to baked goods enhances the flavor.
Nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit and other mix-ins: This is the fun part! You can get creative with your mix-ins to create your own biscotti flavor. I recommend sticking to 1 1/2 cups or less total mix-ins. Try almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, chocolate chips, dried cherries or dried cranberries.
How to make biscotti cookies
Biscotti are easy to make. There are just a few simple steps, and I’ve included a few pictures of how I shape and cut the biscotti dough.
First you will beat together the butter and sugar. Next you’ll add two eggs and vanilla. If you are using other extracts, such as almond extract, mix them in now. This is also when you will want to add citrus zest such as orange or lemon zest.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.
Finally, stir in any mix-ins that you want to use, such as nuts, dried fruit, or chocolate chips.
Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a log shape. If the dough sticks to your hands, using slightly wet hands can help. I start by making a ball out of each half of the dough. Then I pat the dough between my hands to shape it into a log.
Place the logs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Press down with your hands to flatten the logs. You want them to be about 3/4-inch thick. You can also use your hands to smooth and flatten the edges of the dough logs.
If you want, you can sprinkle the dough with turbinado sugar (coarse sugar) before baking. This will give your biscotti cookies a pretty sparkle on top.
Bake the dough logs for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees, until they are lightly golden. The center will be slightly soft and should bounce back when you press it lightly.
Be sure to let the baked biscotti logs cool before slicing. If you slice them when they are too warm, the cookies will crumble.
Slice the logs on the diagonal, pressing a sharp knife straight down into the dough. Place the cookies back on the baking sheet, cut sides up. Slicing at a greater angle will result in longer cookies, and less of an angle will produce smaller biscotti.
Bake the biscotti a second time, for 12-16 minutes, until crisp.
How long will biscotti last? Store your biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for 1-2 weeks this way. You can also wrap your biscotti airtight and store them in the freezer for 3 months.
How to make mini biscotti: To make small biscotti, shape the dough into three or four logs instead of two. The smaller dough logs will require less baking time, so begin checking on them after 15 minutes.
Chocolate Biscotti Recipe
To make chocolate biscotti, you will add unsweetened cocoa powder and chocolate chips to the biscotti dough. You will use 1/4 cup less flour to account for the addition of cocoa powder. I like to dip my chocolate biscotti in white or dark chocolate, and sometimes I mix in almonds or walnuts.
Almond Biscotti Recipe
Almond biscotti are one of my favorites! To make almond biscotti, add 1 teaspoon of almond extract and reduce the vanilla extract to 1/2 teaspoon. You will also mix chopped almonds into the dough.
Cranberry Orange Biscotti Recipe
To make cranberry orange biscotti, you will mix orange zest into the creamed butter and sugar. Then stir dried cranberries into the biscotti dough. Sometimes I like to add almonds or pistachios to my cranberry biscotti.
I also have a chocolate chip biscotti recipe that you might love!
Tips for baking the best biscotti cookies
- This recipe makes about 20 medium sized biscotti. You can double the recipe to make more biscotti.
- Be sure to let the baked biscotti logs cool for about 30 minutes before slicing them to prevent your biscotti from crumbling.
- Bake the sliced cookies longer if you want them more crunchy, and for a shorter time if you want them softer. The centers will be a tiny bit soft when you remove them from the oven, but they will crisp up as they cool.
- You may sprinkle turbinado sugar (coarse sugar) on the dough logs before baking for a pretty sparkle. I did this with my classic biscotti pictured above.
- You can dip your cooled biscotti in melted chocolate. Refrigerate chocolate dipped biscotti for a few minutes to help the chocolate harden.
Classic Biscotti Recipe - 4 Ways
Ingredients
Classic Biscotti
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, use 1 teaspoon if adding almond or anise extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract or anise extract, optional
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- turbinado sugar, coarse sugar, optional
Chocolate Biscotti
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds or walnuts, optional
Almond Biscotti
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped almonds
- turbinado sugar, coarse sugar, optional
Cranberry Orange Biscotti
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of 1 orange, about 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- turbinado sugar, coarse sugar, optional
Instructions
Classic Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract. If you would like to add almond extract or anise extract, add it now. Mix until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and then use your hands to shape each ball into a log that is about 8 inches long.
- Place the logs on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to flatten the dough logs until they are about 3/4-inch thick. Gently press the sides and ends of the logs to even them out and flatten them.
- If desired, sprinkle the logs with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden and the center of the logs is almost firm and bounces back when touched.
- Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the logs into biscotti shape, on the diagonal. Press straight down with the knife, rather than sawing.
- Place the biscotti, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-16 more minutes, until dry. The centers of the cookies will be slightly soft and will crisp as they cool.
- Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
Chocolate Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using.
- Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and then use your hands to shape each ball into a log that is about 8 inches long.
- Place the logs on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to flatten the dough logs until they are about 3/4-inch thick. Gently press the sides and ends of the logs to even them out and flatten them.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden and the center of the logs is almost firm and bounces back when touched.
- Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the logs into biscotti shape, on the diagonal. Press straight down with the knife, rather than sawing.
- Place the biscotti, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-16 more minutes, until dry. The centers of the cookies will be slightly soft and will crisp as they cool.
- Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
Almond Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Add the eggs, almond extract and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Stir in the chopped almonds.
- Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and then use your hands to shape each ball into a log that is about 8 inches long.
- Place the logs on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to flatten the dough logs until they are about 3/4-inch thick. Gently press the sides and ends of the logs to even them out and flatten them.
- If desired, sprinkle the logs with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden and the center of the logs is almost firm and bounces back when touched.
- Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the logs into biscotti shape, on the diagonal. Press straight down with the knife, rather than sawing.
- Place the biscotti, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-16 more minutes, until dry. The centers of the cookies will be slightly soft and will crisp as they cool.
- Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
Cranberry Orange Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest. Mix until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the dried cranberries.
- Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and then use your hands to shape each ball into a log that is about 8 inches long.
- Place the logs on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to flatten the dough logs until they are about 3/4-inch thick. Gently press the sides and ends of the logs to even them out and flatten them.
- If desired, sprinkle the logs with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden and the center of the logs is almost firm and bounces back when touched.
- Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the logs into biscotti shape, on the diagonal. Press straight down with the knife, rather than sawing.
- Place the biscotti, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-16 more minutes, until dry. The centers of the cookies will be slightly soft and will crisp as they cool.
- Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
Hi Kristine,
Is there a way to make these without eggs? We have an egg allergy in my house.
Thanks!
Hi Yvonne,
You can try it with a flax egg.
Made the cranberry orange today and they are delicious! Can’t wait to try the other variations. I will never buy prepackaged grocery store ones again! Thank you for sharing.
Hi, I had trouble with stickiness, I tried to wet my hands I even tried flour. It was very difficult to roll in a ball and the log. Once it was on the parchment paper it was like glued to it. I followed the recipe exactly.
I think I could’ve used more flour.
Hi Louise, I’m sorry that you had this experience. I’ve made this recipe many times and it always turns out for me. When I shape the dough into the log, I don’t place it on a countertop or other work surface. I just hold it in my hands and pat it into shape, then place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten it a bit. Hopefully those tips will help.
Hi Louise,
It was very sticky for me also, I just kept dipping my hands into water as the recipe suggested and that helped a lot 😊
What a fabulous recipe! I made a double batch of each flavor today and they all came out wonderful. I live at 7600 feet and did not change the recipe at all. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi,
I’ve made both the cranberry orange and chocolate so far. They’ve turned out great and the flavor is excellent. My only problem is that they keep cracking excessively. I live in Boston and the air is quite dry. Could that be my problem? Any suggestions?
These were wonderful. After having a traditional biscotti (no butter/oil) recently, which was delicious, I wanted to find a recipe for one. But thinking that just a little bit of butter may make it more enjoyable for those that may not want to dip the biscotti in a liquid, just a little bit of butter may be better. I made the almond biscotti and they had just the right amount of sugar, almost like a hint) and butter. These are biscotti after all and not cookies. Even using chopped almonds was the better choice. I had seen recipes calling for whole almonds in the recipe, but they would have been nearly impossible to cut through without the biscotti crumbling. I made another popular blogger’s biscotti that had so many positive reviews, but I was very underwhelmed, which drove me to write this review.
Thanks so much for these great biscotti recipes! I will be using these and using your recipe base for any other flavor combos i may want to try.
I made this recipe and they came out great! Thanks!
I never made Biscotti before. I did the orange zest with dried crasiains and sliver almond. Came out so amazing I ended up doping them in chocolate with crushed walnuts! Thank you for this recipe. I will be adding it to my favorite backing collection.
I’ve made this recipe a few times now, love it! Helpful hint , when you cut the biscotti if you have an electric carving knife I highly recommend using it. So much easier.
I had to add an egg to the butter sugar mixture! Sugar was flying out! Can this b made in a food processor?
I haven’t tried this recipe in a food processor. I know the recipe calls for cold butter, but you could try using softened butter instead.
My first effort,great success,added lemon zest and dipped in chocolate.Thank you
I was wondering if I could substitute the sugar for Stevia in this recipe. If so, how much Stevia would I use in this recipe?
Hi Jim,
Yes you could try substituting. You will need to look for a conversion chart online because the amount depends on what particular form of stevia you have.
I baked mine 12 min on the 2nd bake and they almost burned. You don’t turn the temp down after the initial bake? That’s what most other biscotti recipes do. Have to turn to the other side to even out the colour a bit but I turned the oven temp down to 300 F
No, I don’t turn the oven temperature down for the second bake. Maybe your oven runs hot? You can adjust the temperature and/or bake time as needed.
Love biscotti dipped in wine after dinner.Favorites are Almond, Anise. Do not like the Chocolate. Biscotti is great treat all year long. Fond memories all have Biscotti as a theme.
Thank you for sharing these recipes.
Hi Kristine I’ve tried a few of these recipes and have only tweaked the mixing of nuts,extracts etc and have never had any problems with crumbling or stickiness. They have turned out great every time and this is coming from a rookie baker. Thanks for these
Hello Kristine, Have become a biscotti fan and am looking forward to making them by following your recipe. Question is, does it matter if you substitute regular whole wheat flour for “white” whole wheat flour? Does it affect the taste? Thank you.
The biscotti will taste a bit heartier, but I don’t think you will notice much difference. You can also substitute all-purpose flour, if you prefer. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This recipe was spot on perfect! I made the almond biscotti and they were super easy and absolutely delicious. My family gobbled these up in 2 days. Thanks for sharing, I saved this recipe and I will be making again and again.
Perfect biscotti. I made the chocolate with mini chocolate chips and walnuts. Yum! I didn’t change a thing, recipe and directions are spot-on.
Why would you start with cold butter to cream with sugar? It should be softened or room temperature, no?
I have always made these with cold butter and they turn out perfectly. If you prefer to use room temperature butter you can try the recipe that way.
Good recipe, but a little dry. I’m wondering if the 4 tablespoons (2 oz) of butter is correct. Most recipes call for double this amount.
Yes, 4 tablespoons of butter is the correct amount. Biscotti are a drier cookie, however I find that these are less dry and crunchy than most.
Is it ok to use self-raising flour. Should I cut back on Baking Powder?
It may depend on the particular self-rising flour but you can try omitting the baking powder with self rising flour.
I made the classic and cranberry orange recipes. They turned out great. I think yours is the best recipe I’ve found. Thanks for sharing!!
So if im substituting all purpose flour for all the flour does that mean I need 2 cups of flour all together?
Yes, that is correct. You want to keep the total amount of flour the same.
This is the best biscotti recipe I’ve ever used. My family is now addicted to them so I’ve turned into a biscotti-making machine. My favorite is the cranberry orange. To add a bit more flavor, I sub in 1/3 cup of Burnt Sugar Orange Spice from Milk Street, it has orange, vanilla and cinnamon flavors.
I made these for the third time tonight but I made them gluten free this time. I used America’s Test Kitchen gluten free flour mix (recipe available online) plus a teaspoon of xanthan gum. I baked for the maximum suggested time in both steps, nice and crunchy. Wonderful, again.
Can I substitute almond flour for either flour?
I have not tested this recipe with almond flour. You may need to make other modifications to adapt the recipe for almond flour.
Hi Kristine
Your recipe is so easy and fail proof my family loves them, I bake them about once a week they’re so good so thank you for this recipe. I just have a question, do you think these could be made in lemon flavor and if so what would you recommend. Again, thank you so much for this great biscotti recipe!
Hi Angela,
I’m so glad that you are enjoying this recipe! Lemon biscotti sound delicious! I haven’t tested that flavor variation, but I’d try adding 2 tablespoons lemon juice and the zest of 1 large or 2 small lemons to the dough (mix in when you add the vanilla). If you want to add a lemon glaze to drizzle over the tops after baking, you can whisk together some powdered sugar, a bit of lemon juice and lemon zest. If you try a lemon variation, let me know how they turn out!
Great recipe. I made a coconut version by adding 1/2 cup (50 grams) sweetened shredded coconut and 1 teaspoon coconut extract to the basic recipe.
Great! Recipe was easy to follow. I made my version with mixed fruits. Tasty, not too sweet. Great with coffee.
Have you tried almond Flour, what do you think about that?
I have not tried this recipe with almond flour.
My husband loves the cranberry and orange. I add a tablespoon of the orange juice and almond slices. He would eat it every day. I think this recipe is amazing!
I liked this recipe and the results. I made the chocolate version. . My only comment would be to add the nuts and chocolate chips to the mixture before the dry ingredients. My dough was so stiff that they didn’t incorporate evenly into the dough.
Can these be frozen? Thank you
Found the answer to my question…you can freeze them!
Hi. I’m so not a cook. I never acquired the baking gene, but I wanted to make my friends a homemade gift this year for Christmas. So, I tried your recipe. Oh wow. Amazing. For a non-baker it was impressively easy. The dough for the chocolate ones was really crumbly (I bet I added too much flour in error) so I threw in an extra egg, and all was deliciously good. The basic ones were perfect. Next I’m going to try adapting the recipe for a maple and walnut biscotti. Thank you so much. Have a lovely Christmas. From a grandmother in WA state.
Question can you use all all purpose flour I do not use wheat thank you vicky
Yes, you can.
I made all 4 over the last two days. Very easy base recipe to follow and very good results for all 4. Even my wife likes them and she doesn’t like anything I cook. :>
I have made these multiple times. My favorite combo is to add almonds to the cranberry-orange ones and make a mix of two flavors. My boyfriend begs them, my grandma loves them and always asks for some. They are easy to make a delicious.
I saw someone had a problem with stickiness. I had this one time when making. I made at work, while I had to do some other things, so the dough was sitting and waiting for some time. My guess is that if you overwork it or it is too warm, then butter melts too much and the dough gets sticky. I fixed the issue by putting it in the fridge for a moment and it made a huge difference. After this I was able to shape it easily. But this has happened only once, other times it has been perfect.
I made almond and cranberry Orange biscotti. I followed the recipe and instructions carefully and I’m thrilled to report they came out perfectly!
I’ve been making biscotti for years but wanted to change up my usual recipe. I made the chocolate biscotti recipe. I had to use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 flour, and it turned out perfectly. I don’t think I will ever use a different recipe. I wanted to write a note to say thank you for the easy to follow directions.
Hi I need tips on creaming cold butter
It never gets creamed textures with the sugar
It’s pasty !
I was always taught room temp ingredients!
Help
We love your recipes too ! Thanks
Hi Deb, you just have to mix the butter and sugar together until they are very well combined. The mixture won’t be really creamy, and that’s ok. If you prefer to soften the butter a bit at room temperature, I’m sure that will work fine, too. Just make sure it’s cool, not warm.
I’ve been making biscotti for about 10 years. After trying this recipe I’ll discard my old one. These are perfect! The cranberry orange were perfect for dipping and the balance of flavors was delicious. I baked them at 350, and turned the oven down to 275 for the second bake for 25 minutes, because I like them dry for dipping. The color and dryness was just right. Other than that, I followed your recipe exactly and couldn’t have been happier. Thank you!
This is the perfect biscotti recipe. I made the cranberry version today, and it came out super well. I did swap 1/2c flour for 1/2c almond flour. Added pistachios. In the end, I had to add maybe another 1/3c APF to manage the stickiness due to the almond flour. So so sooo good, thank you for an amazing recipe.
I use the base recipe quite often to make two different kinds – a lemon poppyseed (often with a lemon drizzle), and a pistachio chocolate chip – both delicious!!
Hi I use your recipe here soooo many times but…. I’m always always uncertain as to creaming COLD butter
I never know when it’s enough… any tips I was told as much as 15 min to combine till creamy by a fellow baker
HELP please and thank you so much
I usually just mix for a few minutes. If you want to let the butter warm up for a few minutes at room temperature, that is ok too. I’m glad you are enjoying this recipe!
I had never made biscotti and thought this recipe was pretty easy to follow and fool proof. These are AMAZING- I’ve made them countless times since Christmas. I’ve even made a maple walnut variation where I subbed the sugar for maple sugar, walnuts in the cookie and a maple glaze on top. They come out perfect every time and everyone loves them!
Just made the Almond Biscotti. Really easy to do. I couldn’t resist and I had a piece after the final bake while it was warm. Soooo good! I did use sliced almonds and only put 3/4 c. In the batter. It was plenty of almonds.
I made the chocolate biscotti. Eating one now and it is absolutely delicious. So easy to make. Highly recommend. Will definitely make again and again.
I tried your recipe and it came out beautifully . It is light and just the right crisp. I will make this again . Thank you
I made the almond biscotti today, and they’re very good. I roasted the almonds, then chopped them, but only used 3/4 cup, as it looked like a full cup would be too much. I do have a couple questions, though. The biscotti are a bit sweet and I’m wondering if it would be ok to cut the sugar to 1/2 cup without affecting the outcome? Also, the biscotti are still a little soft in the middle so I’m guessing I need to bake them longer on the second bake? Thanks so much!
You should be able to reduce the sugar with good results. Yes, for crispier biscotti bake them longer on the second bake. I’m glad you are enjoying the recipe!
Hi there,I love your biscotti recipes! Have made lots of them.
Just dont understand why you would say to use hard butter?
It is hard enough to incorporate soft butter with sugar! Don’t need hard pieces of butter flying everywhere 😊
Thanks for your recipe!
Using cold butter is just how I’ve always done it. The butter is never so hard when I make this recipe that pieces fly everywhere. 🙂 I’m sure you could use slightly softened butter with similar results. I’m glad you are enjoying this recipe!
Made an almond version and the chocolate biscotti.
Both were delicious and better than any store bought! Thank you!
Thank you Kristine! We had lost our old biscotti recipe. Yours is perfect. The recipe is laid out easy to follow for whichever type you want to make. I made one recipe and mixed some craisins I had on hand into one log. The biscotti came out perfect! Next time I’ll make double! Thanks again!
Absolutely love this cranberry orange biscotti! One do tend to crack a lot! Any reason why they do this?
I believe you got the flour to sugar ratio correct. I tried another biscotti recipe from another Italian cookbook author, who used 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of sugar, and for me, it ended up a touch sweet for my palate.
Very nice taste. Unclear on recipe if you toast each side after baking or is it designed for a single 2nd bake. I did bake each side about 10 minutes.
I only bake the cut biscotti on one side; I do not flip them. I’m glad you enjoyed these!
I just baked the cranberry orange biscotti it is outstanding. I added a tablespoon of orange juice with zest and 4 tablespoon additional flour sine I added OJ also didn’t have enough dry cranberries so used dried apricots. We love them the texture is great.
I really like the simplicity of this recipe! I didn’t have cranberries, but I did have cherries and the orange/cherry combo is fantastic.
I also made a wonderful pumpkin spice with PS emolument and pepitas in white chocolate.
These recipes are the best. Seriously my mom and I have probably made close to 50 batches each for the last couple years using this page. I’ll change out the extra ingredients but the base recipes are great! I think my latest favorite is adding chocolate chips and shredded coconut to the almond biscotti. It’s like an Almond Joy treat with my coffee. Anyways thank you for this great go to recipe!
I followed this recipe to a T. The taste us amazing. However they are a bit flat. Because it was such a hot day i placed the ligs in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking.
I usually don’t leave reviews on recipes but these were the best biscotti I’ve ever had!!
Hi Kristine. I bake (and cook) a lot and just came across your basic biscotti recipe. I love trying new recipes, even though I have many of my own. I want to make these next month. Question: Can I make the different variations ahead, freeze then thaw the dough in the fridge, shape and bake them later? I’m sure you can. As I’ve done this with many cookie doughs. Thanks.
Hi Vaness,
I have not tried freezing this dough. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it worked!
Hi Kristine, I made the basic recipe last year with lots of variations. I did freeze the different doughs and those turned out just as good as fresh dough. I just pull out a package the night before and pop it in the fridge, by the next morning it is ready to shape and bake. I just baked off the last of my frozen dough from about 11 months ago and they still turned out great!
I bring them down to my bocci team and everyone loves them. One gentleman even wanted me to sell them in his store! I’ve made lemon, lemon poppyseed, plain, almond, chocolate, coffee, chocolate-chocolate chip, coffee/chocolate. Whew, the list is endless.! They all turn out great. Thanks for the recipe. I just finished making 8 batches and will make 8 more tomorrow for gifts this year. Now I just need to decide what flavors I want to make tomorrow! 😃
Thank you for sharing that freezing the dough works well. I’m sure others will appreciate that tip! Your flavors all sound delicious. I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe!
I love the cranberry orange biscotti! I make it all the time. I would like to bring out more orange along with the cranberries. How can I add more orange, but not over power the cranberries!
I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipe! The best way would be to increase the amount of orange zest.